Like a man with a gun to his head, he needed help and I had information that maybe, just maybe, could help save him. Chances are, you need that same information, that same help.

RECENT COLUMNS

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend of lifeguards not only
failing to rescue the drowning, but also missing the victims until
a swimmer happens upon the body.

The Recall:Really!?!

This latest development in the ever-developing story that is the
Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act Debacle (VGBAD for
short) is worthy of its own SNL ‘Really!?!’
treatment.

Stop the Smear

The group behind the lifeguard pay smear aims to break unions, and
they’ll use whatever they can to sway public opinion and dupe
the media.

The email came with an air of desperation, but also, it turns out,
the seeds of inspiration.

Essentially, it was an SOS. The writer’s aquatics program was
going to be shut down unless he could justify why it should be
kept. Did I have any information that could help him save his
program?

The message set me back on two levels. First, I knew that many
professionals were struggling with tighter budgets, but this was
the most disturbing evidence of how dire the situation had become.
Second, I was surprised that the question of how to justify
aquatics even had to be asked.

Didn’t he know about the amazing health benefits just being
in the water produces? Wasn’t he aware of the economic and
social boon aquatics facilities offer to communities? And what
about the incredible life skill of simply knowing how to swim? How
do you put a price on that?

Then I realized something important. Like a man with a gun to his
head, he needed help and I had information that maybe, just maybe,
could help save him. Chances are, you need that same information,
that same help. That was the moment when this year’s
Aquatics International virtual conference was born:
“The Aquatics X Factor — Unleash the Power of
Water.”

Just as the name suggests, the conference is all about arming
aquatics professionals with the information they need to defend
facilities against budget-threatening cuts and closures. And the
“power of water” in the title is no mere hyperbole.
From practical health benefits to less tangible quality of life
values, there are plenty of justifications for why aquatics should
get a fair slice of the financial pie. (To learn more about the
topics up for discussion, see our extensive article on The Aquatics X Factor.)

In fact, we’ve got seven seminars all geared toward making
that case. As always, the seminars will be available on demand so
you can work them into your busy schedule, rather than the other
way around. This year, instead of just being available for six
months on demand, the seminars will be on demand for a full year.
Also new this year are two live seminars — one on Nov. 8 and
the other Nov. 9 — which allow for a question and answer
period.

And, as always, all the seminars are absolutely free, a price even
the most stringent bean counter couldn’t fault.

We want you to attend these seminars. We want to give you the best
data we can, so you can to defend your facility. Ultimately, we
want you to have all the information you need to succeed.
Information is power, yes. But the most powerful Aquatics X Factor
is you.